Britney Spears exhibited “drastic mood swings,” spoke in a British accent, and offered to make officers lasagna at her nearby home when she was pulled over and arrested for allegedly driving under the influence in California last March, according to arrest records obtained by The New York Times.
The singer, 44, admitted she’d consumed one mimosa several hours before her March 4 arrest in Ventura County, but she denied being intoxicated behind the wheel, the arrest report from the California Highway Patrol states. Police say they found unprescribed Adderall and an empty wine glass in Spears’ convertible BMW, according to The Times.
“I could drink probably four bottles of wine and take care of you, I’m an angel,” Spears allegedly said when asked to rate her level of sobriety. Breath tests administered at the scene reportedly registered blood alcohol concentrations of .05 percent and .06 percent, under the legal limit of .08 percent.
“Her mood changed from confrontational and agitated to flamboyant and compliant,” the arresting officer said in the report. “She also appeared to speak with a British accent at times.”
In CHP video of the arrest, Spears reportedly spoke in a childlike voice and told an officer she was on her phone when she allegedly swerved into other lanes. She apologized for the behavior and invited the officers to her house.
“I’ll make you food or lasagna or whatever you want,” she said, according to The Times. “I have a pool.”
Spears’ lawyer, Michael A. Goldstein, declined to comment on the specific allegations in the newly released records. Reached by Rolling Stone, he said only that the pop star “intends to comply with the conditions imposed by the court as part of the disposition reached with the Ventura County DA.”
Earlier this month, Goldstein negotiated a no-jail plea deal for Spears that reduced her DUI charge to a misdemeanor charge of reckless driving. “She’s doing well,” Goldstein told Rolling Stone at the time.
Asked if his client was pleased with the resolution of her case, he said, “I don’t think anybody is happy about pleading guilty,” but under the circumstances, it was a good outcome. “We appreciate the district attorney recognizing the positive steps Britney has taken to help herself, and we expect that she’ll continue to do so,” Goldstein said.
Spears was sentenced to 12 months of summary probation. The judge ordered her to submit to any searches requested by law enforcement when she is behind the wheel. Prosecutors had sought a broader condition requiring submission to any requested searches for drugs or alcohol, but Goldstein objected. The judge limited the requirement to searches when Spears is in her vehicle only.
The judge also barred Spears from using or possessing any controlled substances without a valid prescription. He ordered her to continue her “mental health and substance treatment,” requiring weekly meetings with her psychologist and twice-monthly visits with her psychiatrist. She must also complete a three-month DUI class.
“One of the key components of the disposition this morning was to make sure Ms. Spears continues to undergo her mental health and substance abuse treatment regimen. We are wholly in support of her doing so,” Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said after the hearing.
“Ms. Spears will have a diminished expectation of privacy in her car,” he said. “If she is stopped by a peace officer, she will have to submit to a test for the presence of alcohol or drugs. [And] her vehicle can be searched for the presence of alcohol and drugs. And she cannot drive with any intoxicant in her body.”
He further pointed out that Spears’ wet reckless is “priorable,” meaning that if she’s convicted of a subsequent DUI in the next 10 years, it will count as a second DUI. For now, Spears has demonstrated she’s taking responsibility, he said, so his office decided to give her a second chance.
“When somebody, ahead of their plea, voluntarily decides to admit themselves into a rehabilitation facility, that demonstrates to us that they have a sincere interest in getting better,” he said. “If they are better, our roadways are safer, our freeways are not burdened with individuals who have alcohol and drugs in their system.”
Police detained Spears after receiving reports of a BMW “driving erratically at a high rate of speed,” a California Highway Patrol spokesperson previously told Rolling Stone. Officers said Spears “showed signs of impairment and submitted to a series of field sobriety tests,” after which she was arrested, booked, and released a few hours later.
“This was an unfortunate incident that is completely inexcusable,” her manager said in a statement at the time. “Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law, and hopefully this can be the first step in long-overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life. Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time.”
